Therapy Talk

Abstract

Therapeutic discourse is the talk-in-interaction that represents the social practice between clinician and client. This article invites speech-language pathologists to apply their knowledge of language to analyzing therapy talk and to learn how talking practices shape clinical roles and identities. A range of qualitative research approaches, including ethnography of communication, conversation analysis, and frame theory, provides a background for the case presentation of a 13-year-old girl who stutters. Asymmetry is a feature of the therapeutic discourse presented , with evidence of recognition of the client's communicative competence emerging. Applications of analyzing therapy talk are discussed, illustrating the relevance of this approach for clinicians.

The Communicative Modes Analysis System in Psychotherapy From Mixed Methods Framework: Introducing a New Observation System for Classifying Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

“…The integrated system reflects the complexity of the therapeutic relationship in which verbal and non-verbal dimensions influence each other and interact regulating its co-construction, although they are separate components (Westland, 2015). Precisely, their interaction determines the building of therapeutic discourse , a specific type of conversation with an asymmetric structure in which the mutual influence of verbal and non-verbal communication affects the intersubjective processes implemented by both participants (Leahy, 2004; Westland, 2015).…”

Revisiting Communicative Competence in Augmentative and Alternative Communication

“…Communicative competence is perceived when one participant applies communication repertoires that not only fulfill his or her own communication goal(s) but also accommodate those of the other communication participant [13]. Bloch and Wilkinson [45], Goodwin [46], Leahy [47], and McTear and King [34] have argued that a dyad negotiates a mutual communication goal and then co-constructs the goal through communication turns. Communicative competence is perceived through co-constructions that make successful communication highly likely and fulfill a mutual communication goal [32,33,34,46,47,48].…”

“…Bloch and Wilkinson [45], Goodwin [46], Leahy [47], and McTear and King [34] have argued that a dyad negotiates a mutual communication goal and then co-constructs the goal through communication turns. Communicative competence is perceived through co-constructions that make successful communication highly likely and fulfill a mutual communication goal [32,33,34,46,47,48]. Co-construction is defined as “a social process by which people dynamically alter their actions with respect to the ongoing and anticipated actions of their partner” [49], and focuses on “the behavior [that] affects the behavior of another person, is understood by that person, and is responded to in a manner that leads to a desired outcome” [[7], p. 11].…”

“…Co-construction is defined as “a social process by which people dynamically alter their actions with respect to the ongoing and anticipated actions of their partner” [49], and focuses on “the behavior [that] affects the behavior of another person, is understood by that person, and is responded to in a manner that leads to a desired outcome” [[7], p. 11]. The processes of co-construction are completed “naturally, without preplanning precisely what will or will not be said” [[47], p. 71]. In this sense, communicative competence is co-constructed by the communication participants dynamically and naturally.…”

“…Naturally verbal people collaboratively construct a mutual communication goal within their dyadic communication, and have their communicative competence perceived [32,34,46,47,48]. It is clear that two naturally verbal people without disabilities are able to effectively and easily co-construct a mutual communication goal, which is negotiated through turn-taking naturally and without precise planning [33,34,46,47,48]. Thus, the communicative competence of two naturally verbal people can be easily perceived during their dyadic communication.…”